In recent years, when a user operates an image forming apparatus and a difficulty happens or the operation method is unknown, a system which is automatically connected to a support center (a central management apparatus) using a network or a telephone line connected with the concerned image forming apparatus and is supported has been proposed. The maintenance system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-364205, when a difficulty happens in the image forming apparatus, transmits the intra-machine information of the image forming apparatus to the support center. On the basis of the transmitted intra-machine information of the image forming apparatus, using the network or telephone line connected with the image forming apparatus, a person in charge of the support center corresponds to the user by voice.
In a conventional maintenance system of the image forming apparatus, when a failure occurs in a device, the intra-machine information of the device is transmitted to the support center and on the basis of the transmitted intra-machine information, a maintenance service is selected at the support center. However, in the system, no maintenance service in consideration of the emotional condition of the user of the device at that time is performed.